Stargazing with Carter
by hilandncr
Summary: A shared passion? Maybe more than one? After all the telescope was already set up; all they were waiting for was the dark. TAG to the Season 6 episode Forsaken.


Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine; I just enjoy playing with them. No remuneration of any kind has been exchanged in relation to this work of fiction. All rights are retained by the legal owners of the Stargate franchise, its subsidiaries, licensees and assigns.

TAG to the Season 6 episode Forsaken.

**Stargazing with Carter**

Jack O'Neill completed his perimeter check and entered the area where SG1 had set up camp, pausing momentarily to admire the view. His second in command was bent over the telescope she had set up earlier in the day, presumably observing the nebula they had originally come to this planet to study. That is before they had discovered a downed prison ship and unwittingly began assisting the criminals it had been transporting to take out the last of the actual crew and make their escape. Thanks to Jonas's instincts and some clever maneuvering they were able to recapture the prisoners and send the real captain of the Seberus on his way home, with his prisoners safely back in transport stasis.

It had all seemed like a good days work to Jack. Of course, Carter had insisted that they stay for the celestial light show that evening. Although he had grumbled, mostly because it was expected of him, in truth he didn't really mind sticking around while Carter made her astronomical observations. He was enjoying a rather heavenly view of his own at that moment as his favorite astrophysicist straightened from the telescope and turned to enter something on her nearby computer.

Sam knew his eyes were on her without turning to see him, and she tried to not allow any heat to rise in her body at his presumably steady gaze. She told herself to concentrate on the task before her. Although really it didn't require much concentration as she had set up the equipment and entered the relevant command parameters hours before. Now she was just tweaking things to keep herself occupied and to keep her mind from wandering to thoughts of her commanding officer that she definitely should not be having in the field, or anywhere else for that matter.

She shook her head ruefully as she remembered her answer to Aden Corso's question earlier that day of whether she had someone special back home. "Nothing she'd care to discuss." That was an understatement. Her feelings for Jack O'Neill were something she couldn't discuss and tried hard to pretend did not exist. But she knew he was someone special to her in ways she didn't fully understand and that even scared her a little.

Corso's profuse admiration and flattery on the other hand hadn't been intimidating at all. In fact she had rather enjoyed it, even though the thief had been motivated largely by his desire to distract her from discovering his true nature and identity.

The Colonel moved up beside her. She continued to look over her equipment as he began to speak.

"Where's Jonas and Teal'c?"

"I ordered Jonas to get some sleep. He was looking a little dead on his feet. It's been a busy day."

She finished entering something on her computer and turned to face him, as she pointed toward the figure sitting by the campfire several yards from where they stood.

"I think Teal'c got bored. He may be doing his Kel'no'reem."

"Ah." The Colonel briefly took in the telescope and surrounding accoutrements and cocked his head. "Having fun?" The corners of his mouth turned up slightly into a lop-sided smile, the one she often saw when he was preparing to tease her.

"Yes, sir." She smiled back.

"Okay," he drawled. Then he turned on his heels and sauntered off toward Teal'c and the fire.

She stared after him momentarily, not enjoying the view at all—right. She shook herself from that train of thought and turned back to the telescope, still smiling.

When Jack reached the fire it did in fact appear that his Jaffa friend was in the midst of his meditation, and Jack made an effort not to disturb him. So with Jonas asleep in the nearby tent and Teal'c off in Jaffa dreamland, it looked like it would just be him and Carter looking at the stars this evening. That sounded alright to him.

He noted the coffee Teal'c must have put on before beginning his Kel'no'reem. It was the kind of simple, thoughtful gesture he had come to expect from members of his team. He grabbed a couple of mugs and filled one for himself and one for Carter.

He came up behind her and reached an arm around her, holding out the steaming cup. She didn't show any reaction except to take the cup in her hands and mumble a quiet, "Thank you, Sir," as she continued whatever it was she was doing. He knew she could get quite wrapped up in her work, even to the point where he would have to order her to eat or sleep from time to time. But he also knew she wasn't so oblivious to her surrounding out in the field, on an alien planet that had already provided them with a few surprises today, not to notice someone coming up behind her.

She had mentioned to him once that since his experience with the Tok'ra Kanan, something he tried never to think about, she could sense his presence in much the same way she did Teal'c, though not as strong. She described it as a slight humming in her veins. He wondered if it should worry him that he got a thrill out of the idea that his presence alone could make Carter's blood sing.

Clamping down on that thought. He decided to try and make some conversation.

"So, how's it going?"

"Good, Sir," she said looking up to the night sky. She turned to him and asked, "Would you like to take a look."

He stepped up to the telescope and positioned himself over the eyepiece.

"Pretty."

"Yes Sir, it is." She chuckled lightly. "Although, it will be another couple of hours—just before dawn—before we get the best view. That's when I'll take most of my readings and get pictures of the nebula. So really, we're just waiting for now."

"So, have you taken a look at anything else?"

"Sir?" Since the nebula was the reason they were here, it hadn't really occurred to her to look around.

"Sure, Carter. You've got everything entered into the computer here, right?"

"Of course."

"So you'll be able to realign the telescope easily enough." He looked up, scanning the night sky. For what, she had no idea. When he was apparently satisfied with his survey, he moved over to the computer and began punching in commands. The telescope responded and repositioned itself. "Let's see what else is up there."

She wasn't surprised he knew how to use the equipment. He loved astronomy, and though he feigned ignorance and indifference, she understood it was just a show. So she wasn't too worried when he started fiddling with telescope; although she was strongly tempted to move closer and look over his shoulder where she could monitor his actions more closely, just as a precaution. But she resisted and hung back.

After a little back and forth, he seemed to be satisfied with the positioning of telescope. He stared into it for a few seconds then reached back toward her.

"Carter, come take a look at this." He stood, pulling her toward him and placing her before the telescope. She leaned over the eyepiece, keenly aware of his nearness behind her.

"Sir?" If it were possible for her eyes to widen while squinting into a telescope, they certainly had. Jack smiled broadly. He had spotted the star cluster while doing his perimeter check earlier and thought she might like it. It was the kind of present he was allowed to give her, and one he knew she would appreciate. He attempted to school his expression as she looked at him with that excited twinkle in her eye she got whenever something new and sciency caught her attention.

"Do you know what this is?"

"Stars?" He waggled his eyebrows and looked at her with bemusement.

She bit the side of her lip and ducked her head as she tried not to laugh at his rather lame attempt at humor. He loved it when she did that.

"Well, yes. But this looks like it has the characteristics of an intermediate star cluster."

"Uh-huh."

"It's similar to a globular cluster, though much wider and less dense, but not as diffuse as an open cluster." She began to get more animated and started talking with her hands; that's how he knew he was in for it now. "There's never been one discovered in this galaxy."

"Really?" She looked at him suspiciously, like she suspected he may have already known something of what she had been telling him. He did have some idea about these things, but he was trying not to let on. She didn't call him on it.

"I've got to get some pictures of this, take some measurements. . ." Her voice trailed off as she turned to her computer and began fiddling with her equipment.

And that was it. He had lost her. She was now completely absorbed in Carterland, a place he could never hope to go or understand.

He saw her shiver a little and for the first time noticed that she wasn't wearing her jacket. He looked toward the fire and saw its resting there. She had taken it off earlier in the evening when he had ordered her to come sit down and have some dinner, telling her she could go back and play with her doohickeys after she had something to eat.

Since then it had become distinctly chillier, but she was obviously too caught up in what she was working on to either notice or care. He wandered over to the fire and picked up the now very warm jacket and brought it over to her. Maybe it wasn't exactly protocol for a commanding officer to be bringing his subordinate coffee and fetching her jacket. But he rationalized that he was just making sure she could concentrate on doing her job, and that's what a team leader was supposed to do. Right? He didn't dwell on the fact that he really liked taking care of her.

Sam hadn't noticed how cold it had become until a warm jacket was placed over her shoulders. She felt the Colonel's hands linger there, maybe just a few seconds longer than was perhaps strictly necessary. She turned to find him standing very, very close. She rationalized that the heat she was feeling was definitely from the jacket as she pulled her arms through the sleeves.

He didn't move. And after a moment she stopped moving too. Brown eyes gazed into blue and for just a moment the universe stood still.

Finally, Jack broke the silence. "Carry on, Major." He said it softly, with just a bit of rasp in his voice.

"Yes, Sir." She replied with a wistful smile. She turned away and quickly became absorbed in her work once again.

Jack backed up a little, stretched, and turned on his heels to take a seat on the nearby rock as he looked on with fond indulgence. After a few minutes he heard her humming softly, ". . . and tell me that you love me . . ."

He shouldn't be surprised she knew that song. Carter had a wicked, and apparently raunchy, sense of humor she kept carefully hidden under a prim and proper exterior. Just one more reason to love this woman he thought, as he quietly began to hum along.


End file.
